Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-03-17

Constitutional reform through the
means Of Q Constitutional State Conven'
lion has undoubtedly received its death |
blow 20 far - the present Legislature |
IL concerned, though We ere willing TO
be agreeably surprised and even disap-
pointed II 1t should turn out differently
ito n VIA. We predicted. We scarcely
know Of any plan by which the legisla-
ture could have more effsctuAlly block.
Cd the progress OF Constitutional State
reform than by selecting the FIRST Tues
day Of November next - tho time for
the people to hold special election 70
vote for or against Constitutional
CONVENTION. II ell the people who have
al other essential qualifications for
voters, but who lack the very necessary
qualification OF being assessed and hav.
ing paid county tax In the required
time, only had time to qualify, the spe-
eial election might then be welcomed on
she first Tuesday Of May - readily -
on the first Tuesday In November. The
disqualification Of the voters Ii the
great and leading objection TO an cleo
fion on the fret Tuesday OF next Nov
omber, or any other time that does not
give the voters now disfrAnchised IN
opportunity TO qualify to vote upon
such an important subject. In order
that we may not be Misunderstood, nor
our motives misoonstrued upon this
subject, We reproduce . few figures,
many OF which We have used before,
but will bear using again, to show the
inter foolishpess Of expecting TO carry
the election next November in favor OF
. State Constitutional Convention. In
the first place 1t will requi 16, 600 votes
In round mum ers In the ate in favor
OF . Conven ton before one can be CALLED,
because the Constitution requires that
. majority for Convention must be q
majority OF the highest vote cast at aDy
OF three preceding Safe elections. This
then plainly takes In the election In
1882 when over 81 900 votes were cAst
at g overno,'s election, and majority
of that vote is very few votes short OF
10000 The question is, can 16. 600
woes be poiled for o convention?
A few more figures will assist 10
coming to Q correct conclusion upon
this subject. Al the State election held
last Novem Dor, few more than 26. 600
votes were polled, but we will use the
round numbers for the sake OF convent
ence. 1t cannot reasonably be expected
that as large vote can be polled next
NJvembe when there are no national,
Site, county or hundred Off GERS to
slsct and no issue before the people bul
that OF voting for or against CoDutitu'
tional Convention. Then another fac
must be considered. There are not les
than i've thousand who voted in tn
State last fall who will be disfr anchiset
from voting next fall by reason OF no
having paid their county poll tax sn'
have been or are now being returned a
delinquents to the Lsvy Courts OF th
State. These deducted will leave bu
81, 900 qualified voters for the elec:io
next November. We will be charitabl
enough to suppose that these voter
will all vote mex. November (whin
they will not), but l6, 900 of them wi
have TO vote for convention In orde
to havs one. This will be an eleotio
~ which The majority cast will ava
nothing. 1t must be . majority OF q
election held in 1882, aud that major
will have to oe II 600 out Of total vo
OF q, 600 cast to carry In favor OF col
vsntion. This will only be Allowir
1000 votes to be cast against a CONVEX
tlon. Does snybody suppose there wi
not be more than that under the pre-
emit state Of factional feeling that exis
in the dominant party OF tie Sac?
The bill has YET to pass the Senate
become Law, and upon the Soma
will devolve the responsibility OF d
feating a measure insincere from t
STAR, insincere In every part End dt
OF l., and intended only to deceive
people by It's friends pretending
favor constitutional reform, when
reality they did not want IT, aud unt
the guise OF friendship strangled /.
Its Infancy.
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